Skyrim - The Newest Companion
by Imnotedible
Summary: After her family perished to Alduin's wrath in Helgen, Johanna Ragnhildur is saved by a young Legionnaire named Hadvar. After spending a few months living with Hadvar and his folks in Riverwood, she sets out to join the fabled Companions of Whiterun. Little does she know that she'll find more than just adventure and glory in the halls of this ancient guild of warriors...
1. Prologue

Fire. There was fire everywhere. Everywhere you would turn, something was burning. Houses, shops, taverns, even people... She could never get the memory out of her head. The screams, the foul scent of scorching flesh, the helpless cries for help... So many people had died that day.

On that fateful day, Johanna was tending to little Njall while their parent had gone to attend the executions. Then, there came a loud booming sound that shook the whole village. Johanna ordered Njall to get away from the windows but he ignored her instructions. That is when a torrent of flames came crashing down through the windows, hurling poor Njall to the other side of the room. Johanna had just enough time to take cover behind the kitchen table before the blast hit her. Once the fire had dissipated, she called out to her younger brother but received no answer. Smoke filled the air now and Johanna's breathing was becoming difficult. Covering her mouth with one hand, she scurried around the house trying to find her brother. She gasped in horror when she found Njall's body completely burned to a crisp in the family room. Although she desperately wanted to stay beside her brother's body, the house had been compromised by the fires and the roof was caving in on her.

Quickly, she made her way to the door, hot, regreteful tears streaming down her cheeks. She could not weep lest she would breathe in the thick smoke from the fire that now ravaged her home. The front door was now obstructed by debris but Johanna managed to break it down just before the walls collapsed behind her. She breathed in deeply only to have her nostrils violently assaulted by the stench of burning corpses. She could feel her stomach churn, but she resisted the urge to regorge. Her brother had perished and she needed to find her parents urgently. It was then at that moment that she heard it: a thundering roar that seemed to rain down from the sky itself. Her terrified eyes gazed up upon a creature she had not expected to see in a million years: a titanic onyx colored dragon. It was a terrifying beast with wings that stretched across the sky like two sinister black sails in the wind. Its scales where black as midnight and its eyes burned as red as the flames that emerged from its dreadful jaws. Johanna stared at the beast in horror as her heart filled with dread. How could such a legendary beast exist and how could it wreak such havoc on a single village? She could not keep her bewildered eyes off of the fearsome creature, who now stared back at her with eyes red with fury.

The young Nord could feel the air enter the beast's lungs as it prepared for another fiery attack. She knew she had to move, but her legs would not obey. She braced herself for the end, regretting not saying farewell to her family before she joined her ancestors in Sovngarde. Then, as the air became more and more sulfurous, someone jerked her arm and pulled her away from the flames. Johanna gazed up at her savior in confusion, wondering who had saved her from the fiery breath of the dragon.

"What in the name of Ysmir do you think you're doing?!" Her father spoke to her. "Where's Njall?"

She could not find her words. She looked back at the house with tears welling up in her emerald eyes. Her father followed her gaze and saw the destruction that had eradicated their home. Johanna tried to hold back her tears as she remembered the inferno that had taken her little brother's life. Her father pulled her towards him in a warm but brief embrace.

"It's not your fault Jo... Come, we need to find your mother," he said to his daughter.

She quickly dried her tears and followed her father through the obliterated streets of Helgen until they reached the keep where Johanna's mother was waiting. Once they had reached the keep's main entrance, Johanna opened the door and gestured her parents to go inside.

"Mother! Father! Get inside!" she ordered them.

But they stood still, gazing into each other's eyes. After a brief moment, they turned towards their daughter with mournful expressions.

"No, you must go on alone," her mother spoke.

"What!? This is ridiculous! Get inside now!" Johanna rejected.

"Your mother's right, Jo. We'll stay behind and barricade the door so you may have a chance to survive," her father explained.

"NO! NO I REFUSE! I'm not leaving without you! I've already lost Njall! I can't lose you too!"

She sobbed and cried as her parents took her in their arms one final time, hot tears streaming down their faces as well.

"That wasn't your fault sweetheart..." her mother said to her softly. "But you must be strong now. Go... and just remember that we both love you so much and that will never change no matter what."

They held each other until they had no more time to spare. The dragon had finally gotten down from the keep's tower and was now skulking around on the ground. Johanna's parents slowly let go of her and smiled at their beautiful daughter.

"Make us proud, girl," her father said before shoving Johanna into the keep, barring the door behind her and leaving the rest of Helgen to suffer the dragon's wrath.

Johanna awoke in cold sweat, her breath heavy and loud. The sheets from her bed were damp as well as her night clothes. Always the same nightmare... she thought, even though it was more of a bad memory than a nightmare. She sighed deeply, rubbing her tired eyes with her knuckles. Above, she could hear quiet footsteps coming towards the stairs leading to Alvor's cellar, where she had been sleeping for the past months. After a brief moment, Dorthe appeared at the top of the staircase and was coming down the stairs with a candle and a plate full of cheese. She was also desperately trying to hold a bottle of spiced wine under her arm as she made her way towards Johanna's bed.

"I could hear you groaning from upstairs," she said to her, setting the plate and bottle on Johanna's nightstand.

"Sorry," Johanna apologised sleepily. "I didn't mean to wake you..."

"Yeah, I know. Want some?"

Dorthe handed her the plate of cheese.

"Thanks..."

Johanna ate a piece of Eidar cheese. It was her favorite kind of cheese. Then, she looked at the bottle of spiced wine.

"You know you're not supposed to drink this stuff, right?" Johanna said to Dorthe.

"My parents are sleeping and besides, it's mainly for you, because I know you like it so much," the young girl answered.

"Oh yeah? What makes you say that?"

"Um you got drunk on the stuff last week, remember? My cousin had to drag you into the house!"

"Point taken..."

Johanna uncorked the bottle and started drinking directly from it, savouring the spiced concoction. She sighed in relief as the fruity yet spicy liquid slid down her throat. She handed the bottle back to Dorthe, who took a small sip before her face twisted into an expression of disgust.

Johanna started to laugh. "If you're going to waste it, give it to me."

"I have to get used to the taste at some point if I want to enjoy alcohol later on," Dorthe explained to her.

The two girls ate and drank for a moment without speaking a word to each other. In between two bites of cheese, Johanna looked up at Dorthe who was still trying to drink the spiced wine without making a face each time she swallowed a sip.

"How's your cousin?" she asked.

"Don't know, we haven't heard from him in awhile," the young girl answered.

"Oh, I see..."

During the fight at Helgen, Johanna had met Hadvar, a young Imperial soldier who helped her escape from Helgen and invited her back to his uncle's home in Riverwood. She then spent the last months living in Alvor's basement and earning her keep as his assistant at the forge. During her stay at Alvor's house, Johanna had gotten close to his daughter, Dorthe, and they regularly shared a midnight snack when Johanna had trouble sleeping.

Johanna had also gotten quite close to Dorthe's cousin, Hadvar. After taking care of Johanna's wounds, they returned to Helgen in search of her father's greatsword. The sword was her father's greatest possession and had been given to him by Eorlund Gray-Mane himself. Unfortunately, the blade had been broken during Helgen's last moments and there was nothing Hadvar's uncle could do to fix it. Still, Johanna kept the broken greatsword on her person at all times when she was out and about. Some would point and laugh at her foolishness, but she carried the broken sword as a reminder of what had happened in Helgen.

Although they became close friends, Hadvar had to return to Solitude to deal with the rebellion and the dragon threat that was becoming increasingly more dangerous. Johanna was sad to see her friend leave and Hadvar felt the same. Some people would say that he considered Johanna as more than a friend and that his feelings for her extended beyond friendship. The young woman was, unfortunately for him, completely oblivious to his true feelings towards her.

Even though he had departed from Riverwood, Alvor had agreed that Johanna could stay until she could make a living for herself and after a few months, that day had finally come. Dorthe knew it and even though she tried to conceal her sadness, Johanna could always see how she truly felt inside.

"You're going to leave us, aren't you?" Dorthe finally said after a long moment of silence.

Johanna stared at Dorthe with a half smile.

"Your mother and father wouldn't want me to live with you indefinitely, especially your mother," Johanna laughed.

"No, but that doesn't mean you have to leave Riverwood," she said to her, her face concealed by long locks of brown hair.

Johanna could hear her voice trembling as she fought to keep her tears at bay. She placed the spiced wine on the table next to her bed and invited Dorthe to sit in front of her with her legs crossed. They then exchanged a long sisterly embrace as Dorthe's tears came flowing down her cheeks.

"I'm not going to be gone forever. I will return, don't you worry about it."

Dorthe nodded as she sunk her head further into Johanna fiery locks. The two girls shared Johanna's bed throughout the rest of the night and when Sigrid came to get some things from the cellar, she found them lying side-by-side in a heartwarming embrace. Dorthe's mother looked at the pair with a smile as Johanna started to slowly wake up.

"Sleep well?" Sigrid asked her.

"Better than most nights," Johanna answered as she shifted in her bed slowly.

Dorthe was also waking up after hearing her mother speaking to Johanna.

"Is it morning already?" she complained.

"Yes, and it's Johanna's last day with us," Sigrid said.

Although she had not been the keenest on having Johanna living at their house, Sigrid seemed sad to see her leave after having her for a few months. She was mostly sad for her daughter, Dorthe, who was going to lose a valuable friend after she had gone.

After having breakfast with Sigrid, Alvor and Dorthe for the last time, Johanna went downstairs to fetch her things. Once she had emptied her bed, her drawer and her night stand, she stared at her now empty spot in the basement nostalgically. Although she had trouble sleeping in the damp and cold cellar, she would miss her midnight talks with Dorthe when she would be gone. She would also miss the sound of Alvor's hammering in the morning but mostly, she would miss Alvor and his family. They had been so kind with her these past months and she would be eternally grateful to them for letting her stay so long and for taking care of her.

As she was turning to go up the stairs to the main floor, Alvor was coming down the stairs with what seemed to be a set of armor and son equipment. He gestured Johanna to sit down on the bed where he sat down beside her.

"You remember when I showed you how to forge armor? Well, this is the armor you and I created together. I want you to have it..." he explained to the young woman.

"Oh Alvor I... I couldn't... I mean..." She had lost her words.

"Take it, girl. You were the one who made it after all."

He handed her the armor they had crafted together. It was made of steel and was lined with fox fur to match Johanna's red hair. She placed the pieces of armor on her knees and contemplated each piece for a few seconds. Then, Alvor got up and gestured her to do the same.

"Here, let's see if we got the measurements right."

Johanna placed the pieces on the bed and Alvor picked up the main pieces of steel armor. He then started to place them on Johanna's body, adjusting it accordingly as he went along. Once she was wearing every piece of the armor, Alvor took a step back to contemplate his work.

"Fits you like a glove," he stated with a satisfied grin.

Johanna turned around to see herself in different angles and when she had had enough, she turned towards Alvor with a smile.

"And the color of the fur goes really well with your hair," the blacksmith continued.

"It took so much fur though. I can't even remember how many foxes I had to hunt down to complete every piece," Johanna laughed.

"It's a good thing you're a talented hunter. I dare say you're even better than that Faendal character, but don't tell him I said that..."

They laughed in unison, then an awkward silence settle between them. Alvor finally broke the long silence when he cleared his throat before speaking.

"I'm sorry I couldn't repair your father's sword, Johanna. If you really want it fixed, you should seek out Eorlund Gray-Mane in Whiterun. By the nine, if there's someone who can fix your father's sword it's probably him."

"I'll see what I can do Alvor, but thank you. And don't worry, you've done quite enough for me and I'm really grateful for all you've shown me and for taking me in for all this time," Johanna said to him.

Alvor took the young woman in his arm and held her close against his heart. A few tears came trickling down Johanna's cheeks as she hugged her friend and mentor warmly. When they finally separated, she wiped away the rogue tears and let out an awkward laugh.

"Now now girl, don't you start crying on me. You know how soft I get when I see a young girl cry."

He wiped away one last tear from her gentle face and smiled at her, his eyes filling up with water as his fought against the urge to cry. He turned away when it came to unbearable and started laughing.

"Besides, it's not like you're going away very far. Whiterun is just a horseback ride from Riverwood. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon," he said.

Johanna's smile grew larger. "Yeah, you're right. It's not like I'm going to Markarth or Solitude. I'll come visit you once I'm settled."

She patted Alvor on the back and they both went up the stairs together. Sigrid and Dorthe were waiting for them in the living room.

"You look great, Johanna! I'm sure your parents would be very proud of you," Sigrid said with a smile.

Johanna bobbed her head gratefully and stopped in front of Dorthe to kneel in front of her. This way, they were the same height. Dorthe's eyes were red with sadness and she was desperately trying to steady her breath.

"I'm gonna miss you so much, Jo," she cried.

"I'm going to miss you too, Dorthe, but you needn't be sad. I'll return soon once I'm all settled in Whiterun. Who knows, maybe they'll let me join the Companions!" Johanna said to her.

"I really hope they do. They would be crazy not to. You're like, the best hunter I've ever seen!"

The young Nord laughed. "I hope they can see it too."

The two girls embraced, holding each other tightly. Dorthe started crying again and Johanna was desperately trying to hold back her tears. They stayed in each other's arms for a long while before reluctantly separating from one another. Johanna stood up and went for the door, her backpack and broken sword strapped to her back. Before exiting the house, she turned back to gaze upon Alvor's family one last time and waved at them before leaving the place she had once called home.

As she was leaving Riverwood, a few of the townsmen (and townswomen) said their farewells to her, thanking her for the services and deeds she had done for them. They all hoped she would come back soon and they were all going to miss her, as she would miss them in return. Once she had cross Riverwood's frontier, she set out into the wilds and made her way towards the city of Whiterun.


	2. Chapter 1

Johanna followed the river leading out of Riverwood towards Whiterun for some time, killing a deer and a band of wolves that had crossed her path. She took their hides in hopes of maybe selling them at Whiterun's market to make some gold for herself. With their furs now rolled up and strapped on her back, she progressed towards the hold's capital.

It took the young Nord woman a while before she could see the city of Whiterun in the distance, but once her destination was in view, she became even more determined to reach it. She quickly reached Honningbrew Meadery and her nose was filled with the sweet scent of honey and mead. She stopped a moment to really take in the delicious aromas coming from the meadery before continuing her way towards the city. In the distance, she could start to see Pelagia Farm and what seemed to be a struggle of some sort. A very tall man was busy pounding at the ground with a large wooden mace. When Johanna got closer, she could see that the man was actually no man at all, but a giant pounding away at a group of warriors. The party was trying to bring the giant down, but they seemed to be having trouble getting close enough without receiving massive blows from the gigantic creature. Johanna quickly made her way towards the battle, pulling the hilt of her father's broken blade off her back.

Engaging the giant were three warriors dressed in similar fashion. The first was a burly man wearing a heavy armor with a wolf's head carved on the collar. He was brandishing a mighty greatsword which also had a carved wolf's head as a pommel. He wore a long red cape with a symbol that Johanna could not make out etched in the center. Next to him stood a woman with dark hair and markings painted on the sides of her eyes and coming down her chin. She was wearing hide armor and was fighting the giant with a sword. Further away, there was another woman, taller than the first, with dark red hair and green markings spread across her face in the shape of three claw marks. She was fighting off the giant at a distance, with her bow.

Johanna sprinted towards the giant with zeal as she jumped over a stone wall to join the other three warriors. They all looked at her with surprised expression, especially after seeing her broken blade in hand. The man started to walk towards her, but was stopped by the woman with the claw markings.

"She's gonna get herself killed!" he cried out.

"Leave her. I want to see this," the woman answered calmly.

The giant stared down at Johanna when she got closer. He seemed as surprised as the three warriors when he saw Johanna's weapon. It mocked her and tried to crush her with his club, but the red-headed Nord dodged the clumsy attack gracefully. She cleaved at the giant's hand, cutting it open. The giant cried out in pain and held up its hand. Johanna had clearly angered it, for it was now delivering heavy blows in an attempt to reduce her to jelly. But Johanna was more cunning than she looked and dodged every single attack and for each blow, she would leave a cut on the giant's body. When the giant had sustained enough injuries, it dropped on one knee and the woman with the claw markings nodded at her friend. The man then charged towards the giant, delivering the final blow and splitting the giant's head in half with his mighty greatsword.

Johanna sighed in relief as the giant drew its last breath. She quickly cleaned up her weapon and sheathed it, turning towards the three warriors who were now busy looting the giant's corpse. She was then approached by the archer, who looked at her with a glimmer of wonder.

"You handle yourself well. You could make for a decent Shield-Sister..." she said to her.

"Shield-Sister? Wait... You're not...?" The young Nord started.

The answer hit her like a stampede of mammoths. These three warriors were members of the famed Companions.

"Not what?" The woman inquired.

"You're... You're members of the Companions!" Johanna cried out in excitement.

"Ah, so you've heard of us. Well, it's nice to know that we still have a decent reputation, if only around these parts... So, what brings you here, traveler?"

"Well, this might sound like a strange coincidence, but I was actually making my way towards Whiterun to try my luck at joining up with your order."

A strange smile stretched the woman's lips. The two other warriors had finally caught up to them.

"Well, unfortunately, that's not up to me to decide. You'll have to talk to Kodlak Whitemane up in Jorrvaskr. The old man's got a good sense for people. He can look in your eyes and tell your worth. If you do actually go to him, good luck." the huntress replied.

She motioned the two others to follow her, but before they all left, the man turned towards Johanna and smiled at her.

"Hope I see you again up in Jorrvaskr," he said in a deep, raspy voice.

Johanna smiled vaguely back at him, still mesmerized by the events that had just transpired here. She had just fought her first giant along side of the fabled Companions. She still could not wrap her head around it. She felt as though she was dreaming, but at the same time, all of this felt very real to her. With a satisfied sigh, she made her way towards Whiterun in hopes of meeting up with her new battle companions up in Jorrvaskr.


	3. Chapter 2

Before heading up into Whiterun, Johanna had tried to bargain for a horse with the Stables master at Whiterun Stables. Unfortunately, the Stables master would not part with his horse unless Johanna paid him 1000 gold pieces. Seeing as the young woman was just starting out in the world, she did not even remotely have enough money to pay for a horse. After seeing her attempt at bargaining fail, she decided to head up to Whiterun. At the very entrance of the city, a woman with dark skin was hammering something at the forge. Johanna approached her calmly to ask her for directions.

"Greetings! I'm looking for the Companions' mead hall. Could you point me in the right direction, please?" she asked politely.

The woman set aside the axe she was smiting and turned towards the eager warrior. She was wearing a traditional blacksmith's apron. Her eyes were a warm shade of brown much like her skin and her hair was long and a dark shade of brown.

"Ah! New to Whiterun are you? Well, if you're looking for Jorrvaskr, go through the market, turn left and climb up the stairs. Once you're in the town square, look for the building with the shields on it and there you are," the Redguard woman explained.

"You are most welcome madam. Could I ask you a few other questions?"

"Certainly, but only if you tell me who you are first."

"My name is Johanna Ragnhildur. I have come to Whiterun to join up with the Companions."

"Ah so you wish to become a Companion? Well, I wish you luck then. Now, what would you want to know?"

"Well, it's only fitting that I ask who you are and what you do here."

"Indeed. My name's Adrianne. I work with my husband at the Warmaiden's. I make weapons and armor and he sells them but lately, I've had to do forge work for the Imperial Legion..."

"That must be quite the task..."

"Tell me about it... I don't claim to be the best blacksmith, Eorlund Gray-Mane has that honor... I'm just trying to make an honest living here in Whiterun, but with the Legion placing such hefty demands, I hardly have time to do anything else."

"How unfortunate. I don't suppose you could take a look at this for me?"

Johanna unfastened her father's greatsword from her back and handed the scabbard to Adrianne. She then placed it on her workbench to better examine the pieces of the blade.

"Hmmm... This sword has been badly damaged. The blade isn't even sharp anymore. Where did you get it?" Adrianne asked.

"It was my father's... before he died during Helgen's dragon attack," the young woman answered.

"You were there when Helgen was attacked? So you saw the dragon?"

"Yes. It... destroyed the whole town. I was one of the lucky who survived the attack. My family, however, was not so lucky..."

Johanna's jaw tighten has she fought against her tears. It had been some time now since she had escaped Helgen, but the sorrow she felt for her parents and her brother was still difficult to overcome. Adrianne stared awkwardly at the young woman, regretting her question.

"I'm so sorry for your loss..." she said to her.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you," Johanna smiled slightly. "I just hope it did not attack anywhere else."

"Unfortunately, that dragon came swooping down near Whiterun not long after Helgen was attacked. It's a good thing that Dragonborn character was there to slay it or it could have destroyed the whole city."

"Dragonborn? What's a Dragonborn?"

"Don't know his name, he just came into town a few months back and then the dragon attacked the west tower. As for what the Dragonborn is, I'm afraid I don't quite know..."

"Strange... Well, maybe I'll investigate that another time. Right now I just want to know if you can fix this blade for me."

"I'm afraid not. This blade is made of Skyforge Steel. You'll have to take it to Eorlund if you want it repaired, but be warned: Skyforge Steel doesn't come cheap and repairing it doesn't come cheap either. If you're lucky, he might repair it for you free of charge if you manage to join up with the Companions."

"Why is that?"

"He's their blacksmith."

"Really? That's awfully convenient! Well, thank you for your help, Adrianne. I hope the Imperial Legion doesn't wear you down too much."

"Bahh... Don't you worry about me. I'll manage. Best of luck to you with the Companions."

"Thanks. Have a nice day."

"You as well."

The two women parted with each other. Adrianne resumed her daily tasks and Johanna slowly made her way towards Jorrvaskr. On her way up, she stopped at the Drunken Huntsman, where she sold her animal hides and bought herself some arrows and a bow in exchange. She then made her way to the market, where she chatted up a pleasant conversation with a young woman named Ysolda, who gave her a few useful tips on how to bargain with shopkeepers (and Stable master). After entering what seemed to be Whiterun's richer district, she spotted Jorrvaskr and made her way to the mead hall.

Her hands trembled as she pushed open the massive wooden doors. Immediately upon entering the building, she could hear the sound of fighting coming from inside. She rushed into the large room to go see what all the excitement was about and found a Dark Elf warrior fighting with a woman wearing a helmet. They were fist fighting on the left side of the large hall where most of the inhabitants were busy cheering them on. Johanna was as captivated by their duel as the rest of them, but remained silent as to not attract attention to herself. The two warriors fought for a long while until the woman finally had the upper hand and punched her adversary right in the stomach. He quickly fell to the ground in agony as the woman gazed upon her fellow Companions with pride.

"Good job, Njada," one of the men said to her.

"You showed quite the skill in that duel," another spoke to her.

The woman, Njada, smiled proudly at her comrades, but her smile faded away when her eyes met with Johanna's emerald irises. The other members followed her gaze towards Johanna and their laughter was quickly silenced. They all resumed their previous tasks after glancing over at the fiery young woman, who then made her way towards Jorrvaskr's living quarters.

Once she went down the stairs and passed through the door leading into the basement, Johanna found herself face-to-face with a familiar face. One of the women from the battle with the giant was making her way towards the main hall when she was intercepted by Johanna. She seemed surprise at first, but then smiled at her.

"Forgive me. I didn't see you there," Johanna apologized.

"Oh don't worry about it. Say, aren't you the one who helped us fight off the giant?" the woman asked.

"That's me. My name is Johanna Ragnhildur."

"I'm Ria. Did you come to join us after all?"

"That's the plan. Could you point me towards Kodlak Whitemane's quarters?"

"It's right down the hall. You can't miss it."

"Thank you."

She nodded at Ria before passing her and headed towards the end of the hall. Once she reached the door, the young woman could hear voices coming from the other side of the door. Not wanting to disturbed their conversation, she decided to wait a moment before knocking at the door.

"Come in," an older male voice called out.

Johanna took a deep breath as she reached for the door's handle. This was her chance to make a good first impression. She readjusted her posture and smiled brightly as she entered the room slowly. On the other side on the room, two men were sitting down around a small table eating bread and cheese. One of the men seemed much older than the other as his hair was silver and age had clearly left its marks on his face. The other younger male was shorter than Johanna and had long black hair. His eyes were contoured by dark circle, much like those of the man that had slain the giant with her. She wondered if they were related since they shared the same eyes and hair.

"Who's this?" the young man said.

"A stranger in Jorrvaskr? Tell me, my girl, what brings you here?" the older man asked.

"My name is Johanna Ragnhildur and I've come to join your order," the young Nord said.

"Have you now? Here, let me have a look at you." He got up and looked at Johanna from head to toe. "Hmmm... Yes, perhaps. A certain strength of spirit."

The younger man abruptly got up from his chair to protest.

"Master, you're not truly considering accepting her?"

"I am nobody's master, Vilkas. And last I checked, we had some empty beds in Jorrvaskr for those with a fire burning in their hearts."

"Apologies. But perhaps this isn't the time. I've never even heard of this outsider."

"Sometimes the famous come to us. Sometimes men and women come to us to seek their fame. It makes no difference. What matters is their heart."

"And their arm..."

"Of course. How are you in a battle, girl?"

Johanna was caught a bit off guard by Kodlak's question, but she answered as best as she could.

"I think I can handle myself pretty well, but I know I have still much to learn."

"That's the spirit, girl. Vilkas, here, will get started on that."

Vilkas seemed slightly annoyed, but accepted his master's instructions.

"Vilkas, take her out to the yard and see what she can do."

"As you wish, Kodlak."

He motioned Johanna to follow him to the yard. The young woman obeyed him and followed him up the stairs and out onto the training grounds. She was so excited to prove herself in combat to one of the members of the Companions. Vilkas stood a few feet in front of her, cracking his knuckles one by one.

"The old man said to have a look at you, so let's do this. Just have a few swings at me so I can see your form. Don't worry, I can take it."

Johanna nodded and lifted her fists in front of her, ready to strike. She took a first swing at Vilkas, who hardly moved. Seeing as he could clearly take more, she gave him another punch. Her swings became harder and harder as she gained confidence. Vilkas blocked her punches with precision, but was still struggling to stay put while Johanna battered him. After a moment, he began to strike back at her. Vilkas' first punch came as a surprise and he got her right on the mouth. She took a step back and wiped the pearls of blood coming from her split lip. She smiled at Vilkas, licking the rest of the blood off. Things were just now getting interesting.

The young woman seemed to fight with even more ferocity as she fought back against Vilkas. They sparred for a moment until Johanna finally landed a massive punch on Vilkas' jaw. He stumbled back a few paces and lifted his hand up to where the young Nord had hit him. Johanna felt so proud of her performance. She had the distinct feeling that she was going to make it into the Companions and that she had made a good impression on Vilkas. As he massaged his jaw, he let out a low chuckle.

"You might just make it. But for now, you're still a whelp to us, new blood. So you do what we tell you. Here..."

He unsheathed the greatsword from his back and handed it over to Johanna.

"Here's my sword. Go take it up to the blacksmith to have it sharpened. And be careful, it's probably worth more than you are..."

He then made his way to the mead hall. Johanna stared at him in utter surprise as he left her alone in the training yard. She could not believe how badly he had treated her even though she clearly made a good impression of her fighting skills. She was half-minded to walk up to him and shove his sword back in his face, but she overcame her anger and started to walk over to the Skyforge.

The Skyforge was even bigger than she had imagined. As she approached it, she stared in awe at the gigantic forge while a blacksmith was pounding away at his station. The sound of his hammer hitting the metal anvil brought her out of her trance and she approached him with a smile.

"Greetings! I'm Johanna Ragnhildur. Vilkas told me to hand this to you so you would sharpen it," Johanna introduced herself as she handed Vilkas' greatsword over to the blacksmith.

"Did he now? I'm guessing you're the newcomer then?" the blacksmith said.

"Yes, I am. I was wondering, does Vilkas always send newcomers on errands?"

"Oh, don't worry too much about it. They were all whelps once. They just might not like to talk about it. And don't always just do what you're told. Nobody rules anybody in the Companions."

Johanna frowned in confusion. "The Companions have no leader? But doesn't every guild need a leader?"

The blacksmith shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I'm not sure how they've managed it, but they have. No leaders since Ysgramor. Kodlak is the Harbinger, and he's a sort of advisor for the whole group, but every man is his own. Every woman, her own."

"That's... quite amazing actually. And are you a member of the Companions?"

"Not actually a Companion myself, but none of them know how to work a forge properly, and I'm honored to serve them. My name is Eorlund Gray-Mane. I work the Skyforge. Best steel in all of Skyrim. All of Tamriel."

Johanna's eyes widened. Her father and Alvor had spoken so much about him. She could not believe she was actually meeting him and she could scarcely believe that he was The Companions official blacksmith.

"Everything okay, lass?" Eorlund asked, noticing the change in Johanna's expression.

"Oh yes! Yes of course! It's just that... My father spoke very highly of you," Johanna explained.

"Your father? What's his name?"

"His name was Steinarr. Steinarr Ragnhildur."

"Oh yes I remember now. He commissioned a special Skysteel greatsword a long time ago. Wait, what do you mean his name WAS Steinarr?"

"My father perished during the battle at Helgen along with my mother and younger brother, Njall..."

"Oh... I see... I'm sorry I asked."

"There's no need to be sorry. Besides, I wanted to ask something of you, if you wouldn't mind?"

"Hmmph?"

Johanna unsheathed her father's broken greatsword, laying the broken pieces down on the forge.

"Aye, this was the sword I made for your father. What happened to it?" Eorlund asked, examing the pieces carefully.

"After the chaos had subsided in Helgen, I went back for it and found it under a pile of rubble. My guess is that it got crushed by stones and that's why the blade broke into pieces." the red-headed girl explained to the gray man.

"I see... Well, this shouldn't take long to repair. Tell Vilkas I'll have his sword for tonight. You can fetch your father's sword back in the mornin'."

"Wha... But I... Thank you so much!"

Eorlund nodded slightly at Johanna as he brought Vilkas' sword to the grindstone. Before Johanna headed off to the mead hall, Eorlund turned towards her and said:

"Oh and, before you leave, I have a favor to ask of you. I've been working on a shield for Aela. My wife is in mourning and I need to get back to her soon. I'd be much obliged if you could take this to Aela for me."

"Yes, of course! It's the least I can do," the young woman responded.

"That's a good lass. The shield is right over there." He pointed towards a metal shield with a wolf's head carved on the front.

The blacksmith then returned to his work and started sharpening Vilkas' sword. Johanna picked up the shield and contemplated the craftsmanship for a moment before turning towards Eorlund.

"Um... Just before I leave, who's Aela?" she asked, embarrassed.

"I thought you would have met everyone by now... Aela's is the red-headed huntress with the claws markings drawn across her face. You've probably seen her before."

He was right about that. Johanna nodded, thanked him one last time and then made her way back to Jorvaskrr with the shield in hand, fighting the urge to scream in excitment, for she had just met the greatest blacksmith in all of Skyrim.


	4. Chapter 3

The halls of Jorvaskrr were not large, but Johanna still had trouble finding Aela inside the mead hall. She asked around to see where she was. She even asked Vilkas if he knew where Aela was, but he only wanted to know if she had successfully brought his sword to Eorlund. After annoyingly answering him, she continued to explore the corridors in Jorvaskrr's living quarters. After wondering for a while, Johanna heard a familiar voice coming from behind a closed door. She immediately recognized the red-headed huntress' voice as she got closer to the door. She seemed to be talking with a man whose voice she did not recognized. She waited a moment before knocking on the door and waited until someone inside told her to come in. Seeing the shield in Johanna's hands, the huntress smiled.

"Ah, good. I've been waiting for this. Wait... I remember you. So the old man thinks you've got some heart, I guess," the huntress said to Johanna.

"You know this one? I saw her training in the yard with Vilkas," the man next to her said.

"Ah, yes. I heard you gave him quite a thrashing."

"Don't let Vilkas catch you saying that."

They both laughed and Johanna chimed in.

"What's your name, stranger?" Aela asked.

"My name is Johanna Ragnhildur," she answered.

"Ahh a true Nordic name. My name is Aela, but some here have come to know me as Aela the Huntress. This here is Skjor."

"A pleasure to meet you, newcomer," the man replied.

"Let me ask you something, Johanna: Do you think you could handle Vilkas in a real fight?" Aela asked her.

Johanna seemed surprised by her question.

"I'm not one to boast," she said to the huntress.

"Ah, a woman who lets her actions speak for her. I knew there was something I liked about you." Aela answered back.

The two women exchanged smiles.

"Here, let's have Farkas show you where you'll be resting your head." the huntress said.

"FARKAS!" Skjor yelled towards the door.

Moments after, a tall, burly man came running at the door. It was the same warrior that Johanna had met during the fight with the giant.

"Did you call me?" the man said.

"Of course we did, icebrain. Show this new blood where the rest of the whelps sleep," Aela instructed him.

"New blood? Oh, I remember you. Come on, follow me."

He motioned Johanna to follow him, which she did. She waved back at Skjor and Aela before disappearing into the hall with Farkas. This was it. She had finally earned a place in the Companions mead hall. Johanna could hardly believe it. Everything was happening so fast, but she knew she still had a lot to prove to the guild members.

"Skjor and Aela like to tease me, but they are good people. They challenge us to be our best," Farkas explained to Johanna.

"They seem like good people," she said.

Farkas led Johanna through the living quarters. They finally came up to a room filled with beds. A few other members were sitting in the room. Johanna recognized Ria talking with Njada in the corner. There was also a male dark elf sitting alone in the opposite corner sharpening his dagger with a whetstone.

"This is where you'll be sleeping. By the way, you fought well against the giant, even though your sword's broken. Speaking of which, what did you do with it?" Farkas asked.

"I gave it to Eorlund. He said he would fix it," Johanna replied.

"That's good. Wouldn't want you walking around with a broken sword."

He smiled at her. Johanna could not help but smile back at him.

"Anyway, if you're looking for work, come and see me or Aela."

He then left her in the room with the others and went up the stairs. Johanna turned towards the two women talking to each other on the other side of the room and decided it was a good idea to become better acquainted with them. When Ria noticed she was coming, she pointed Johanna to her friend.

"Here, that's the one that helped us with the giant," she said. "Guess you got in after all."

"It would seem so," Johanna replied. She then turned towards Njada. "We haven't met yet. I'm Johanna Ragnhildur. You are?"

"Njada Stonearm... Ria told me you fought off a giant with a broken blade. Is it true?" the woman asked.

"It's true, although, it won't be broken for long. Eorlund's fixing it for me."

"Well, it would seem like I'm the only one who's still wondering why Skjor let you in in the first place..."

"Njada..." Ria scolded her.

"Don't worry Ria... If the Circle vouches for her, I'm sworn to respect their judgment. But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

On the note, Njada got up and left the room. Ria sighed.

"What's up with her?" Johanna asked, not sure of what had just happened.

"She's just like that, don't worry about it. She just hard to impress and likes to keep to herself. I'm the closest thing she has to a friend," Ria explained.

"I see... Well, she fought well against the Dunmer today and you can tell her that."

Ria laughed. "I just might. So, looks like I'm no longer the newest Companion. I guess that's okay, just means I can show you the ropes."

"That's nice of you, but I think I'll manage on my own."

She smiled kindly at Ria who smiled back.

"Alright then. You should think about getting some work now that you've officially joined," she said.

"Thanks, but I think I'll try to rest up a bit before getting some work done. It's been a trying journey between Riverwood and Whiterun," Johanna explained.

"You came down from Riverwood? What did you do there?"

"I worked as a blacksmith's apprentice for a few months. Before that, I lived in Helgen with my family. That was until a dragon attacked my hometown..."

"Oh... I'm so sorry about that."

"Thank you, it's very kind of you. Anyways, now I'm here with the Companions and, so far, it's everything I've dreamed it would be."

"I know right. I've always wanted to be a Companion since I was a little girl. When I finally became one, it was almost too good to be true."

"That's exactly how I'm feeling."

"I can tell."

They both laughed at the same time. The two young women talked for a moment before Johanna decided to take a stroll outside to unwind. Her journey to Whiterun had been tiresome and she wanted to rest up and eat before doing anything else. She sat down at the table outside of the mead hall and chatted with a dirty blonde warrior named Torval. The man seemed to like mead a bit too much for Johanna's liking and besides, she was more of a spiced wine kind of girl.

As the evening progressed, Johanna got more acquainted with the other Companions. She even got into a brawl with Njada and won. Of course, Njada blamed her previous brawl with Athis, the dark elf, for weakening her. Johanna laughed at her remark and felicitated her for her melee prowess. Njada parted with her not long after to get some fresh air. Meanwhile, Johanna made her way to the main table in Jorrvaskr where Farkas, Vilkas, Aela and Skjor were having their evening meal. When she entered the room, Farkas lifted his head, starring at her, and smiled. She smiled back and, as she went to sit down next to him, Vilkas slammed his mug against the table.

"What do you think you're doing, whelp?" he shouted.

Johanna froze and starred at him for a moment. She then starred into Aela and Skjor's eyes, trying to figure out what she had done wrong. Unfortunately, they were only laughing at her.

"What is the matter?" she finally asked.

"This is the grown-ups table, whelp, and you're not allowed to sit here," Vilkas explained.

Johanna frowned in confusion. No one had told her about this rule and was now embarrassed by her ignorance. She slowly stood up and sighed. Farkas looked at Vilkas with a serious look.

"Leave her alone, Vilkas. She's had a rough day, you know," he defended her.

"Hmmmph, and since when do you speak for the whelps, eh Farkas?"

He ignored his brother and looked up at Johanna.

"Don't listen to him. He's just trying to make a fool out of you. You can sit here if you want."

Johanna nodded and smiled at Farkas before giving a suspicious glare at Vilkas. Aela and Skjor were laughing on the other side of the room and they exchanged a few words that Johanna could not hear. She sat down next to Farkas and a strange feeling of comfort washed over her.

"Thank you, Farkas," she said to him.

"So, are you more of a mead or wine person?" Farkas asked.

"Hum... I prefer wine, but if you don't have any, I'll go with mead."

Farkas reach over to grab a bottle of Alto wine from the far-end of the table. He then poured some wine into a cup that he handed over to Johanna. Aela and Skjor seemed surprised at his actions and stopped their snickering to observe them. Johanna felt uncomfortable being spied on by the two senior Companions.

"There you go. Sorry if it's not the really fancy stuff, but it's all we can afford," he apologized.

She starred at him in surprise, waving her hands in protestation. "Oh no! It's fine! I'm content! There is no need to apologize!"

She took her cup and took a sip of Alto wine.

"And thank you for the wine."

She smiled at him sincerely. Farkas smiled back at her, then resumed his meal, which consisted primarily of meat. In fact, there were barely any vegetables in his plate, if any. Johanna had always had a love for meat, but Farkas' love for it clearly exceeded her own. She chuckled slightly as he was stuffing his face with food. Noticing her laughter, he turned towards her sharply, his mouth still full of half chewed meat.

"What?" he asked her.

She laughed harder. "You certainly have a healthy appetite! It reminds me of my friend Dorthe's. She was such a tiny girl and yet she ate like a grown adult!"

"Gotta keep my body strong if I wanna continue doing jobs for the guild."

"Speaking of which brother," Vilkas interrupted. "You should think about giving the whelp some work."

He frowned at Johanna who had not taken any jobs yet since she had been accepted. She glared at Vilkas.

"Well, it so happens that I was here to ask what jobs were available," Johanna retorted.

"Ha! See Vilkas? Well, if you're in the mood to teach someone a lesson, you should head down to the Bannered Mare. Someone's paying us to scare one of their patrons into submission and I think you could use the exercise."

"Sounds simple enough."

"Yeah well don't go overboard. We don't want to hear about someone dying, got it?"

"Yes, sir!"

Johanna did as Farkas had told her: she went to the Bannered Mare and when she got there, the patron was surely there causing trouble with the bartender. The young woman knocked some sense into him and surely enough, he complied. She then returned to Jorrvaskr when the job was done and got paid. She savoured her first pay for a few moments, revelling in the fact that she had completed her first job as a member of the Companions. She still could not believe that they had taken her in so quickly, but she could not have been any happier. Once she had collected her share of the bounty, she headed off to the living quarters and went to sleep, dreaming of what she would accomplish with her new found family.


	5. Chapter 4

Johanna enthusiasm was only matched by her determination. As she effectively completed jobs for the Companions, she quickly attracted the leaders' attention with her deeds. They were impressed by her prowess in battle, but also by her unyielding loyalty. There was nothing Johanna would not do for her fellow Companions. Once, she had helped Ria out of a dangerous situation with a band of bandits. She had risked her life for her and in return, she had earned the respect of many in Jorrvaskr, save Vilkas and Njada.

After only spending a week with the Companions, Skjor had already decided to send her on an important mission with Farkas. The two of them were to retrieve a fragment of the Wuuthrad, Ysgramor's fabled battleaxe, and bring it back to Jorrvaskr. Johanna was excited at the idea of actually seeing a fragment of the Wuuthrad and felt enormous pride at the thought of retrieving it. She could barely contain her excitement as she was preparing to leave with Farkas for the draugr crypt.

Unfortunately, the road to the crypt was not a short one. Luckily, Farkas kept the young woman entertained with his playful banter as they made their way to their mark. Once they arrived, Farkas stopped in front of the door and turned towards Johanna.

"The fragment is inside. Just follow me and try not to set off any traps," he explained to her.

Johanna nodded and they proceeded to enter the crypt. The air was cold as death and not a single sound was audible. Only the echo of their footprints resonated between the ancient stone walls. Johanna shivered slightly as the cold air sent chills down her spine, but she remained unafraid of what lied inside the crypt.

As Farkas and Johanna made their way towards the central chamber, Johanna thought she had heard someone speak behind her. She turned to see who it was, but saw nothing.

"You okay Jo'?" Farkas asked.

"Yes, I just thought I heard something..."

"You hear plenty of weird things in these crypts... Come on, we're almost there."

They arrived in a large circular chamber. A large corridor trailed off to a different part of the crypt, but the way was blocked by a massive steel gate. Farkas started to look around.

"See if you can find the lever for the gate," he told Johanna.

She joined him in his search for the lever. It did not take her long before she found a small room containing a lever on the far end. She approached it and as soon as she pulled on it, a gate slammed behind her, trapping her inside the room. She ran to the gate where she met with Farkas who was standing on the other side.

"Now look what you've gotten yourself into... No worries. Just sit tight. I'll find the release," he said to her.

"Alright," she acquiesced.

Johanna sighed in shame, feeling bad for Farkas who had to get her out. Unfortunately, he did not have the time to find the release before the room was flooded with men and women wearing brown cloaks with a hand symbol stamped on the bottom. The group quickly encircled Farkas as he drew his greatsword.

"It's time to die, dog!" A man yelled.

"Which one is that?" A woman asked anxiously.

"It doesn't matter. He wears that armor, he dies," Another man spoke, referring to the Wolf Armor Farkas was wearing.

"Killing you will make for an excellent story!" said the woman.

"None of you will be alive to tell it," Farkas retorted.

What unfolded next was beyond what Johanna had expected. Farkas dropped his sword on the ground and crouched over, grunting and snarling. His body began to bend and shift unnaturally. His armor fell to the floor piece by piece. His bones cracked and his skin ripped apart under the transformation. His skull transformed into a wolf's head and his body was now covered with jet black fur. Farkas then let out a grizzling howl that chilled Johanna to the core. She backed away from the gate, afraid of what was about to unfold in front of her.

The warriors started to attack Farkas, but none of them were able to land a hit on him. His movements were quick and brutal, like those of a beast. He swung his powerful claws at his enemies, shredding their flesh and spilling their blood on the floor. A splash of blood splattered across Johanna's cheek as she watched in horror as Farkas reduced his assailants to mere shreds. Once the massacre had ended, Farkas ran off towards the side of the room, disappearing into another room. The gate that had trapped Johanna then lifted up, but Johanna stood still. Farkas returned moments after. His body had returned to normal, but he had lost all of his armor and clothing.

"I hope I didn't scare ya," he said jokingly.

Johanna stared at him in shock. She tried to find her words but no sound came out of her mouth. Her eyes wondered on Farkas' body and, suddenly realizing that he was completely naked, her face violently turned pink. She looked away, embarrassed, and finally calmed herself down enough to utter a few words.

"What was that?!" she shouted.

Farkas chuckled. "It's a blessing given to some of us. We can be like wild beasts. Fearsome," he explained.

While Johanna was busy trying to find her composure, Farkas started to put his armor back onto his body. Once she had finally calmed down, she nodded and started to walk towards the next part of the crypt. Grabbing her arm, Farkas stopped her in her tracks.

"Wait."

He approached her slowly, gazing intently into her eyes. Johanna could feel her cheeks blushing once more as she gazed into Farkas' intense steel gray eyes. Until now, she had never noticed how strange but beautiful his eyes were. Now she knew why his eyes ressembled those of a wild wolf. As she gazed back into his eyes, Farkas lifted his hand to Johanna's cheek to wipe off the blood that had sprayed into her face.

"There. We should keep moving. Still the draugr to worry about."

He headed towards the crypts main chamber, leaving Johanna behind to process what had just happened.


	6. Chapter 5

Reality had hit Johanna hard during her mission with Farkas. Not only had she discovered that Farkas was in fact a werewolf, but she had also discovered that there were others in the Companions who were werewolves as well. She never thought that such creatures could exist, but then again, she thought dragons were only myth and she had been proven wrong on that account.

After they had retrieved a fragment of the Wuuthrad, Johanna and Farkas made their way back to Whiterun. By the time they got back to Jorrvaskr, night had descended upon Skyrim and the sky was speckled with stars. Johanna had always loved the night sky and from the hill where stood the Companions' mead hall, she could revel even more in its magnificence. Her gaze lost in the stars, she was abruptly pulled away from her reverie when she heard Vilkas' voice calling out to her.

"We've been awaiting your return," he said to her.

"Why have you been waiting for me?" Johanna asked, confused.

"Come, follow me..."

Vilkas lead the young fiery woman around Jorrvaskr and into the courtyard, where the members from the Circle were waiting for her. They formed a half circle in front of Johanna, who was even more confused now.

"What is all this?" she asked.

Aela motioned her to be quiet. Johanna obeyed and listened carefully.

"Brothers and sisters of the Circle, today we welcome a new soul into our mortal fold," Kodlak started. "This woman has endured, has challenged, and has shown her valor. Who will speak for her?"

"I stand witness to the courage of the soul before us," Farkas spoke.

Johanna turned towards Farkas, curious as to what he would say.

"Would you raise your shield in her defense?" Kodlak asked.

"I would stand at her back, so that the world might never overtake us," Farkas answered, gazing at Johanna.

"And would you raise your sword in her honor?"

"It stands ready to meet the blood of her foes."

"And would you raise a mug in her name?"

"I would lead the song of triumph as our mead hall reveled in her stories."

As Farkas professed his words in front of the members of the Circle, Johanna's eyes started to well up in tears. She could not control the stream of emotion that was pouring down her cheeks. She placed a hand to her mouth, choking out a sob. Aela looked at her fondly while Vilkas and Skjor smiled.

"Then the judgment of this Circle is complete." Kodlak announced finally. "Her heart beats with the fury and courage that have united the Companions since the days of the distant green summers. Let it beat with ours, so that the mountains may echo and our enemies may tremble at the call."

"It shall be so," they all said in unison.

The group dispersed and Aela approached Johanna with her arms held to the side. Johanna walked over to her, meeting her in a tender embrace. She sobbed softly onto the redhead's shoulder.

"Now now Shield-Sister..." she said kindly to her. "This isn't the time for tears. This is a time for joy and celebration! You're one of us now, one of the Circle."

Johanna nodded, trying to master her emotions. She came away from Aela, smilling at her. Her eyes, as well as her nose, were red from her tears. The huntress laughed softly.

"I know something that just might cheer you up. Meet me inside," she told her.

Aela disappeared into the mead hall as Johanna was approached by Kodlak and Skjor.

"You made us proud, kid," Skjor said to her. "I'm sure you'll make for an excellent member of the Circle."

"It's such a great honor. Thank you all," Johanna said gratefully.

"Thank you, Johanna, for showing us that a great warrior can not only be courageous in battle, but also kindhearted and gentle," Kodlak said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Johanna nodded in agreement and Skjor and Kodlak joined Aela in the mead hall. It was then Vilkas' turn to speak to the newest member of the Circle.

"Well, I guess I'm going to have to stop calling you 'whelp' now," he chuckled.

Johanna laughed. "You know, I do have a name."

"Oh really? Hmmm... Must have forgotten it."

They both laughed.

"You did well, Jo'. I'm really proud to have you as a Shield-Sister," he said to her with sincerity.

"Thank you, Vilkas. It means a lot to me."

She smiled at him and they both looked at each other fondly for a moment. After a few seconds, Vilkas shook his head and started to blush slightly.

"Ahem... Well I... I should hum... I'll go see what Tilma has prepared for us."

And he too disappeared into the hall. When Vilkas had finally gone, Johanna turned towards Farkas who was smiling at the young woman.

"Farkas, I just want to say... Your words were so kind and I never thought... well, what I mean is... hum... What I'm trying to say is... Thank you." she said to him anxiously.

"It's what you deserve Jo', for all you've done for us in such a short period of time. We're all honored to have you with us," Farkas declared.

They smiled at each other and accompanied one another to the mead hall. Sitting at the grand table was the rest of the guild members. Ria came to congratulate Johanna on her promotion while the others simply nodded respectfully. Johanna took a seat next to Aela and Farkas. Then, Aela handed her a bottle of wine, but not just any wine: it was spiced wine.

"You're not serious?" Johanna said in disbelief as she was handed the bottle.

"Vilkas and I thought it would be a great idea to get you a bottle for tonight. Vilkas remembered how you kept saying that you loved spiced wine," she explained.

There was a strange expression on Farkas' face. He turned towards his brother and gave him a strange look. Vilkas tried to ignore his brother's glare and stared over at Johanna, who gave him a grateful look.

"Thank you," she mouthed as they were too far to hear each other.

"You're welcome," he replied silently.

And the revelry commenced. As Johanna was quickly emptying her bottle of wine, everyone else was indulging in mead and food. Tilma had prepared a glorious feast for the occasion and everyone was sitting together to share it. Johanna could not be any happier. Not only had her dreams come true tonight, but she was sharing this moment of happiness with her closest friends and her companions. She could not have asked for a more perfect evening and she would treasure this night for the rest of her life.


	7. Chapter 6

Last night's celebration went on until the warriors of Jorrvaskr could see the sun rise up behind Dragonsreach. They had drunk all of the mead and wine and there was not even a scrap of food left from Tilma's feast. Johanna had finished her bottle of spiced wine within an hour and was completely drunk after two. A friendly fight broke between the young woman and Njada, who, unfortunately for her, lost to Johanna. After their duel, Farkas and Vilkas both competed in trying to attract Johanna's attention. Farkas tried to seduce her with his sense of humor whilst Vilkas captivated Johanna with stories of the Companions. Both men seemed to have as much success as the other in keeping the young Nord entertained, that is, until she finally collapsed onto Farkas' shoulder and fell sound asleep.

Johanna awoke in her bed the next morning with a splitting headache. She sluggishly pulled herself out of her cot and made her way towards the hall. After stumbling a few times in the stairs leading to the main floor, she finally found her way to one of the chairs surrounding the huge dining table. Aela was already in the hall when Johanna arrived and she let out a soft laughed as she saw her stumble into her seat.

"Someone had a lot of fun last night," she said to the red-head.

Johanna laughed slightly before cringing at her headache.

"Maybe a bit too much fun, if you ask me..." Johanna answered.

Aela laughed as she sat down next to her. "You can never have too much fun."

She then lifted her head up and stared at Tilma, who was busy sweeping the floor on the far side of the room.

"Tilma! Fetch us some lavender tea!" she ordered her.

Johanna placed her hands on her ears. "Aaaah Aela... Don't talk so loud..." she complained.

"Right away, Aela," Tilma answered as she set her broom down.

The elderly servant passed the two women and disappeared into the basement. Johanna gently massaged her temples as she tried to forget about her pain.

"What's the tea for?" she asked Aela.

"I always find that a bit of lavender tea always calms my headaches, but I have to warn you, it tastes awful," Aela explained.

"Good to know..."

Tilma returned shortly with a teapot and two cups. A strong scent of lavender rushed out of the pot. Johanna grimaced.

"Smells like old people... No offense, Tilma,"

"None taken," she answered her unconvincingly as she returned to her chores.

"Don't worry, she's been through much worst with Vilkas," Aela reassured Johanna.

"Speaking of which, where are Vilkas and Farkas?" Johanna asked.

Aela poured two cups of tea and slid one towards Johanna. Johanna stared at her cup for a moment, not entirely sure if she wanted to drink its contents.

"They left just before you woke to go hunting. We won't be expecting them until later today," Aela explained, motioning Johanna to drink from her cup.

She sighed and relunctantly rose the cup to her lips. The scent of lavender became overwhelming when the hot liquid slid down her throat. Like Aela had said, the tea was truly awful and Johanna almost choked on the liquid. Aela started to laugh.

"I told you!" she exclaimed.

"I know you did, but I didn't expect it to be THAT disgusting!" Johanna pushed her cup away.

"But it really does help. Don't let the taste get to you."

Johanna sighed and took another sip. The second sip was a bit less disgusting and by the third sip, she started to get used to the floral taste. As she drank the tea, she could feel a comforting warmth surge through her and her headache slowly started to fade away.

"By Ysmir, it's actually working," she said to the huntress.

"Brill's actually the one who taught me this trick. He used to be an avid drinker, you see," she said to her.

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed. I was sure Tilma was the one who came up with the idea."

The two women drank their cups of lavender tea together while talking about last night's activities. According to Aela's recollection of what had occurred last night, it would have seemed that Johanna had forgotten most of what happened during the celebration. As she listened to Aela's stories, Johanna could not help but wonder where Vilkas and Farkas had gone. She would have loved to go hunting with them, but unfortunately, she was not in the right state to do so. Once her cup was empty, her headache had almost faded away and she felt much better.

"Thanks a lot, Aela, for the tea. I would never have thought that something this awfull would do me this much good," Johanna thanked her friend.

"Thank Tilma. She's the one who made it," Aela replied.

Johanna turned towards Tilma and placed a hand next to her mouth.

"Thank you, Tilma!" she yelled.

She immediately regretted her decision and placed her fingers on her temples. Aela laughed as she filled her cup once more.

"Looks like you need some more..." she chuckled sadisticly.

"Shut up..."

Later in the day, when her headache had finally passed, Johanna helped Tilma out with her cleaning. Apparently, they had made quite the mess yesterday and Johanna felt bad for leaving all of the clean-up duty to the old lady. Tilma thanked Johanna warmly and the young woman left the hall to go target practice in the courtyard. She was then interrupted by Skjor shortly after.

"Skjor! What can I do for you?" she asked as she lowered her bow.

"I was actually looking for you, Johanna. I have something a little different planned for you," he replied.

Johanna frowned in confusion. "Um... Okay. What is it?"

"It's not for everyone to hear. Meet me in the Underforge, tonight. We will speak more."

And on that note, he left her to her training. A bit confused and unsettled, she tried to forget his words for the remainder of the day.

When the sun finally set and Vilkas and Farkas had returned to Jorrvaskr, Johanna went outside to wait for Skjor. When she arrived in front of the Underforge, it turned out that Skjor was already waiting for her.

"Are you prepared?" he said to her.

"Prepared for what?" Johanna asked.

"You'll soon find out."

"It's not like you to be so mysterious, Skjor..."

Skjor let out a soft chuckle as they both entered the Underforge. Once Johanna had passed the door, she was startled by a roaring wolf's howl. She then stared at a large female werewolf with dark auburn fur. Oddly enough, Johanna instantly knew it was Aela.

"Oh my god..." Johanna gasped.

Skjor walked towards Aela and stood beside a large empty stone pool in the center of the cave.

"We do this in secret, because Kodlak is too busy trying to throw away this great gift we've been granted," Skjor turned towards Johanna. "He thinks we've been cursed, but we've been blessed. How can something that gives this kind of prowess be a curse? So we take matters into our own hands..."

Johanna's eyes frowned with confusion.

"To reach the heights of the Companions, you must join with us in the shared blood of the wolf," Skjor continued.

Johanna's eyes grew wide. "What? You mean... become a werewolf like you guys?"

"Yes."

Johanna took a step back, unsure of how she should react. She turned her gaze towards Aela's emerald green eyes. Even in this form, she could still see that Aela was trying to comfort her as she stared fondly at her. Johanna's eyes reverted back to Skjor's.

"But what does this imply? I mean, how is this going to change me?" she asked him worringly.

"When you become one with the blood, you'll achieve brand new heights. You'll be faster, stronger and will be able to do things you never thought were possible. In your new form, you'll be a true hunter and will never have to fear anything," he explained to her.

"But are there side effects? Any major weaknessed?"

"Silver is particularly deadly to us when we are in wolf form and we are subject to our transformation when the full moon rises. Transformations during the full moon can be painful if you try to resist. Other than that, all of your human weaknesses become naught when you become one of us."

Johanna pondered what Skjor had just said. The thought of becoming a werewolf was frightening. She had only discovered their existence recently and she felt like she did not fully understand what they were, but she also wanted to be a part of something greater, something meaningful and most of all, she wanted to be a part of this family. She wanted to feel like she was really a part of the Companions and if that implicated becoming a werewolf, she would gladly take the risk. She looked at Aela with confidence and nodded. Aela, in her wolf form, nodded back at her. Then, Johanna turned towards Skjor.

"Are you prepared to join your spirit with the beast world, Johanna?" the warrior asked.

"I am," she answered.

Skjor smiled. "Very well."

He then walked towards Aela and held her arm above the stone pool. He took a knife and placed it on Aela's wrist before slicing it open. Her blood then flowed into the pool and Skjor let go of her arm. The bleeding stopped remarkably fast and Johanna stared into the pool of blood. Skjor handed a metal goblet to her and she filled it with Aela's blood. Before she had time to doubt, she lifted the cup to her lips and drank the hot, crimson liquid. The blood was oddly satisfying to drink and, for a moment, nothing happened. Then, her body started to twist and bend and an unbearable pain surged through her body. Johanna's hand let go of the goblet, which fell to the ground spilling blood on the cavern floor. It was not too long until Johanna joined it as she writhed in pain on the cold stone of the Underforge.

Skjor and Aela watched as Johanna's body transformed in front of their eyes. Her bones cracked and changed into unworldly shapes as her clothing were ripped apart by the claws that had now replaced the young woman's fingers. Her skin turned dark as fur emerged to take its place. After a few minutes of unimaginable pain, Johanna's body had turned into that of a huge timber wolf, with brown, gray and black patches of fur. Her wolf eyes met with the ceiling and she scurried to get back onto her feet. Her head barely missed the ceiling as she stood up from the ground. Suddenly, the darkness of the cavern seemed to disappear. Her eyes were now accustomed to the darkness of the night and she could smell every living being in Whiterun. All these new sensations were driving her mad, but the most maddening thing was this insatiable hunger growing inside her.

She stared at Skjor and Aela for only a short moment before charging towards the door. Her claws slid between the stone wall and the door as she forced her way out of the Underforge. She moved through the courtyard with incredible speed and made her way to the market. As she passed some guards and a few nocturnal pedestrians, the smell of flesh quickly intoxicated her. She was about to strike one of the residents when she heard the guards come up behind her to attack her. At that moment, she knew she had to escape the city, or she would most likely get killed. She then made her way to the main gate and smashed it open, leaving Whiterun and disappearing into the night.

Skjor and Aela left the Underforge as well. Aela started to run after the newly turned Johanna while Skjor searched for Farkas and Vilkas. The two brothers were busy quarrelling in the main hall, as usual. When they saw Skjor arrive, they immediately cessed their bickering.

"Skjor, what's the matter?" Vilkas asked the older Companion.

"It's Johanna. She has run off and we need to find her before she kills anyone," he explained calmly.

"Kill someone? You mean..." Farkas started.

For once in his life, Farkas immediately understood what Skjor was trying to tell them. As soon as he knew, he went for the door and swung the door open.

"Brother!" Vilkas called out to him.

But it was already too late. Farkas had already transformed himself into his wolf form and was now on Johanna's trail.


	8. Chapter 7

/ AUTHOR'S NOTE /

I had to censor this chapter quite a bit because of the ratings here on . For those who wish to read the uncensored version, I've posted the chapter on my deviantArt account (snow0white0queen)

/ AUTHOR'S NOTE /

Once Farkas had left Whiterun, he climbed atop a large boulder to take in the scents of the night. His great wolven frame stood there, majestically frightening in the pale moon's light. Of all the members of the Circle, Farkas had by far the most imposing form, with fur black as a moonless night. His silver eyes gleamed in the darkness of the night as his muzzle searched the air for Johanna's scent, which he quickly picked up on. His silent and powerfull strides ate up the land as he darted towards the foothills of the mountain, where the forest began.

Once he reached the forest's edge, Farkas slowed his pace and listened to the forest around him, searching for any signs of movement. His nose sniffed the air. He could smell her near him, but could not hear her. Even in this new form, she was still a clever huntress and knew exactly how to deafen her steps to near quietness. Farkas had a feeling she was close and that she was stalking him in the darkness, so he readied himself for an eminent attack.

Surely enough, a giant timber wolf jumped out from the blackness of the woods and her jaw closed-in on Farkas' shoulder. The black wolf roared in pain as he jerked around to free his body from the female's jaw. He flipped her over him and she fell to the ground in front of him, shuffling frantically to get back on her feet. But Farkas would not allow her to stand back up and immediately launched his enormous frame against her smaller body. Johanna faught ferociously against him, snapping at his face and neck, but Farkas was more experienced than her and avoided all of her attacks. His large claws closed in over the female wolf's wrist, pinning her against the turgid forest floor. The woman faught against his grasp in vain. Farkas was much stronger than she was and was much more in control of his inner beast. He held her down until he could fell the wolf slowly shifting back to human form.

Farks could feel a fire burning inside him that had nothing to do with his lycanthropy. As fur turned back to skin, he could feel this fire exciting his senses. His claws reverted back to large hands as he held Johanna's frail wrists against the ground. The young woman panted exhaustingly as her body turned back to human form, sweat gleaming on her forehead. Her emerald eyes met with Farkas' steel gray eyes and she felt a wave of warmth traverse her naked body. She could feel Farkas' hot breath on her lips, the warmth of his muscular body against hers and a sudden urge to kiss him overtook her. She stared at his lips with want, her whole body set ablaze by passion and adrenaline. Farkas held her down firmly, gazing down at her perfect body. Her skin, so pale, dotted by freckles, had made him lust after this woman since the day they had met. He had wanted to kiss her so many times, but could never bring himself to do it, afraid that she would reject him. But seeing her now, in the pale moon's light, red fiery locks sprawled out on the forest floor and her emerald eyes gazing up at him with want made him lose all sense of doubt as his lips came crashing onto hers.

He released her wrists and his hands intertwined with her damp hair. He ignored the stinging pain in his shoulder as Johanna's sore arms wrapped around his neck. He hands then slid down his broad back, scratching his skin enticingly as her tongue wrapped and caressed his. Johanna's nails on his back sent shivers down his spine, making his groin grow to further hardness than before. She could feel him now pressing against her womanhood and a slight gasp escaped her trembling lips. With a burning desire fueling her every move, she pressed herself against Farkas, enticing him to take her on the forest floor. His hands left her hair as he ran his rough fingers down the sides of her shuddering body, stopping only to briefly cup one of her magnificent breast before continuing down her hips and down the length of her thigh. Johanna trembled in anticipation, knowing exactly what would come next. With a low moan, Farkas gasped Johanna's leg and pulled it up to his hip before sliding his manhood smoothly into her.

He sank deeply into her core and Johanna broke away from his mouth, gasping in pleasure. Farkas' lips brushed against her exposent neck as Johanna's head rolled back onto the damp earth, sending shivers throughout her entire body. He stayed motionless for some time, savouring this first penetration, but then quickly gasped the red headed woman but the hips, moving his hips firmly into her. He moved at an agonizingly slow pace at first. He wanted to savor every part of this with Johanna, but soon, the lust took over and his thrusts grew in speed and intensity. Farkas kept his hips grinding deeply into her, making both of them tremble with each thrust.

As his movements became more and more intense, so did Johanna's moans, which quickly turned into screams of pleasure. Farkas continued to work at her skin as he ploughed into her. His hands slid underneathher buttocks as he leaned down to close his mouth over one of her breasts. The moans and screams coming from her lips as his tongue rolled over the perked nipple sent electric waves through his body, encouraging him to press harder into Johanna. Her womanly scent mixed with the smell of damp earth and sex completely intoxicated the burly man, who kept pulling harder and harder on Johanna's hips, sinking further into her burning core. He could feel his senses being slowly undone as he drove harder and faster into the gasping woman. Her screams heightened his lust even more and he nipped at her breast, sending shockwaves of pleasure through her body. His lips slid upwards towards her neck where he sunk his teeth into her skin ravenously.

Ploughing relentlessly into her body quickly worked their bodies to the finish. Johanna let out a long cry of ecstacy as Farkas grunted in pleasure, their bodies reaching their climax simultanously. Farkas kept thrusting into her, filling her with his seed, as Johanna moaned and whimpered the whole time. Her emerald eyes glossed over with sated lust and her body twitched as shockwaves of pure ecstacy pulsed through her. Farkas thrusted deeply into her for the last time and lifted his hand to Johanna's face. He caressed her cheek tenderly, running his fingers gently over her soft lips. No words were shared for some time as the pleasure slowly died down. Johanna's legs wrapped around Farkas' waist and she pulled him into a tender embrace. The warrior sighed in relief, sliding his fingers into her fiery locks and savouring her scent. She was so perfect, in both human form and werewolf form, and he considered himself very lucky to be able to hold her in his arms like this.

They both parted from each other slightly as to gaze into each others eyes. Farkas pushed away a stray strand of hair from Johanna's face before cupping her cheek.

"I can't help but wonder if this is what you really wanted..." he said to her.

Johanna's eyes stared at him with confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

"I'm talking about Hircine's Curse. It's not something you should accept on a whim, Jo'..."

The woman placed a soft hand on his cheek, smiling at him reassuringly.

"I've never felt so alive, Farkas. The excitment... the rush as I ran through the fields faster than I could ever run before... It was... magnificent. And this moment with you made it all the more worthwhile."

She leaned in to kiss him tenderly. Farkas held her in place for a short moment.

"I'm... glad you're taking this so well. For some of us, the change was difficult... and even more difficult to get used to." he explained.

"Was it difficult for you?"

He turned away slightly, closing his eyes before sighing.

"The Hunt doesn't run as strongly in me as in Aela or Skjor. My brother and I... we try not to loose ourselves to Hircine's Curse, but the side effects can be very difficult to over come."

"I didn't know that..."

Johanna felt like she didn't understand enough about Hircine's Gift and was wondering if she had made a mistake listening to Skjor. She was worried that she would lose control of herself and lose herself to her inner wolf. But she felt some measure of relief when she thought about Aela and Skjor who were doing fine with Hircine's Gift.

"We should get back to Jorrvaskr. Everyone must be worried..." Johanna said, shifting her body under Farkas.

"Yeah, you're right..."

He slowly got up and helped Johanna onto her feet. His eyes wandered a few paces behind her and he saw two small bundles placed on the ground. He motioned Johanna towards the bundles and both of them quickly realized that they were bundles of clothing and armor. Their respective weapons were placed besides each bundle.

"Must be Aela's doing..." Farkas said.

Johanna's face turned a bright shade of red at the thought that Aela might had witnessed what had transpired between Farkas and her. She looked away from the tall man, shuffling to unwrap the armor that was laying on the forest floor before putting on her clothes.

"I... I see. Well that's... convenient," she said, embarrassed.

Once she had clothed herself, she started to put her armor on. Farkas quickly joined her and after a short while, both of them were armed and fully armored and ready to head back out into the night.

After an hour or two of travel, Farkas and Johanna had returned to Whiterun. The guards were frantically looking for the werewolf that had stumbled into the market and Johanna kept herself hidden behind Farkas' large frame. The man slid his arm around her shoulders, making her feel safe.

They both arrived at Jorrvaskr and as soon as they entered the hall, they could see Vilkas arguing with Skjor and Aela.

"HOW COULD YOU?!" he yelled at the pair.

"Vilkas, calm down. We didn't force her to do anything," Skjor explained calmly.

"LIES! You may not have forced her to take the blood, but you didn't tell her the whole truth just so that she would accept it!"

"Vilkas, please, you are overeacting..." Aela said, trying to calm the man down.

Vilkas waved her away and backed away from her.

"This isn't for her!" he yelled.

"She is one of us now! Part of the Circle! Kodlak would have approved," the huntress replied.

"That's where you are wrong! Kodlak would not have wanted..."

Vilkas stopped speaking when he noticed that Skjor and Aela were looking at something behind him. Vilkas turned to see Johanna and Farkas standing behind him.

"Where have you two been?!" Vilkas shouted. He walked over to them angrily. "Jo', you shouldn't have accepted this. This... gift, it changes you," he explained to her.

"Vilkas, I know what I'm doing," Johanna replied in a stern tone.

"But you don't! You don't understand." He took Johanna's hands into his, pleading. "There's a restlessness that paces inside of us. You will never get a restfull night from now on because Hircine will be waiting for you in your dreams..."

At that moment, Farkas imposed himself between the red headed woman and his twin brother and looked at him severely.

"Leave her alone, Vilkas. She wise enough to make her own decision," he said to him.

"Can't you see I'm trying to protect her, brother? I can't let her become like them ! I... I love her too much for that."

Vilkas looked at Johanna over Farkas' shoulder. The woman suddenly started to blush and looked away. She did not expect this to happen. Of course, Vilkas had grown fond of her over the last week or so, but she never suspected he had feelings for her. Farkas grew closer to his brother.

"She's not yours, brother..." Farkas said to him, staring him down with his piercing silver eyes.

"Oh and who's is she then, Farkas? Yours perhaps?" Vilkas spat back at him.

Johanna didn't appreciate Vilkas talking about her like she wasn't there and she gently pushed Farkas aside to face him.

"I don't belong to anyone, Vilkas! And you have no right to decide what's best for me or not. I chose this gift willingly and you have no say in that!"

She pushed him away and started to walk away towards the living quarters. Vilkas wanted to go after her but Skjor stopped him in his tracks. Johanna then disappeared into the floor below and Farkas thought it would be best to leave her with her thoughts. He glared at his brother before heading towards the courtyard for some fresh air. Aela followed him while Skjor stayed with Vilkas in the main hall.


End file.
